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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29688315">Memento Mori</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunadore/pseuds/lunadore'>lunadore</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, M/M, Persona 3 AU, allusions to the perception of suicide, gun object put to head, nothing really out of the norm if you know p3, there's other characters but they're minor roles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:55:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,987</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29688315</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunadore/pseuds/lunadore</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuya is eight years old when he’s introduced to death.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sakaki Yuya/Yuto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Memento Mori</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yuya is eight years old when he’s introduced to death. He’s heard about it before—grieving classmates who had some great-grandparent or the sudden passing of a family pet occur—but experiencing it personally is a raw experience. </p><p>In truth, he’s barely processing it. Barely able to think over the horrible heat radiating from behind him, the burning bodies of his parents encased in the car’s shell he won’t look at. </p><p>He’s too concerned for his own life, the crushing dread welling up inside of him, the paralysing fear that it might not be too much longer until he meets the same brutal end. </p><p>After all, the sky is still a horrible, sickly shade of green, the full moon illuminating the sky and casting the colors onto the otherwise slim black figure of the dragon in front of him. </p><p>  It’s wounded, Yuya can tell from the way it’s breathing sounds raggedy and the parts of chipped off metal from its body that scatter the road. Not to mention the puddle underneath it of black goo, the parts of its body that couldn’t be broken off and thrown to the road seeming to melt away sluggishly from the wounds. </p><p>Despite all that, it still manages to hold its head high, growling at the woman across from it. </p><p>“You’re tough,” she says. She’s in worse shape than the dragon is, though—barely standing and Yuya can almost trace where she’s been, blood making a map on the concrete. She has long red hair, separated by two ponytails. She’s holding a machine in her hands, but its design looks like something straight out of a sci-fi movie and Yuya can’t tell what it’s supposed to be. </p><p>She doesn’t look like she can fight for much longer. </p><p>It takes her a minute to realize it, but when she spots Yuya, her eyes widen. </p><p>There’s a flash of an emotion in her eyes, her face twisting into a discomforted look, before it becomes blank as she steels herself. </p><p>She raises the machine in her hand, and the dragon roars. She pays it no mind though, aims the machine perfectly in their direction, and then—</p><p>☽</p><p>Yuya is eight years old when his parents die in an unfortunate car accident. </p><p>“A hit and run,” he hears them tell Shuzo. </p><p>He doesn’t remember there being another car, but it’s all hazy anyway. </p><p>☽</p><p>Shuzo gets custody of him. It could be worse. He could be in an orphanage. He could be on the streets. </p><p>See? It’s not so bad that he can’t manage a smile and drag himself out of his bed in the morning. (It’s met with just a bit of unrelated difficulty, that’s all.) </p><p>“It’s okay to cry,” Yuzu tells him one day. “I think I would cry so hard I’d dry up. And then I’d cry even more.” </p><p>He smiles. He knows it’s okay, so he keeps smiling. </p><p>☽  </p><p>The kids at school find out about his parents’ death, and he becomes one with death in the eyes of the children, as if it was lingering over him, ready to grab an unsuspecting victim. </p><p>“He’s bad luck,” he hears the kids say. </p><p>“If you go near him, you’ll die, too.” </p><p>“Aren’t you afraid?” One of them even asks Yuya. “Of death?” </p><p>It throws Yuya for a minute and, when he goes to open his mouth, he finds he doesn’t have the answer. </p><p>☽</p><p>Throughout thirteen, Shuzo hears Yuya cry through the night. </p><p>☽</p><p>When he’s sixteen, he decides to make the venture back to Maiami City by transferring to a private high school. </p><p>Shuzo is reluctant to let him go. </p><p>“I have to go,” Yuya says. “I can’t be afraid of it my whole life.” </p><p>It takes a bit more, but eventually Shuzo signs the document to let him transfer. He’s always been supportive, even more so when Yuya was trying to get better. </p><p>Still, he makes Yuya promise. “If you need to, come straight back home!” </p><p>Yuya nods and smiles, gripping the papers tight in his hands. </p><p>He can’t. He can’t come back home, no matter what happens, until he makes peace with that night. </p><p>So, yes, maybe he’s a bit afraid of death. But he’s also curious, too, and satisfaction always brings the cat back. </p><p>☽</p><p>He summons Odd-Eyes for the first time on the rooftop of Maiami High. The gun is warm and slick in his hands from the sweaty grip he has it in; shaking, because a minute ago it was pressed against his temple, some deep primal understanding forcing him to pull the trigger. (The <em> morbidity </em>of it all not escaping from the forefront of his mind.)  </p><p>When Odd-Eyes materializes, there’s a brief moment where the world feels just right. A brief moment where, despite the shadow inching closer and the sky a horrible green and the tribulations of this world, Yuya can stop, and take a break for a minute. </p><p>But a minute passes far too fast, and the next brings such a terrible feeling welling up inside of him before Odd-Eyes is writhing with a terrifying screech as sharp metal wings burst from his back and claws tear at the opened wounds and rip him apart. </p><p>The site of Odd-Eyes being torn into nothing more than black sludge is horrifying, but as the dark dragon stands in front of him, something inside of him clicks into place. </p><p>He doesn’t need to be afraid of this dragon, either—its soul too closely tied to Yuya’s to dare do anything other than protect him. </p><p>It makes quick work of the monster in front of it, squashing it beneath its feet and ripping the monster’s face open with its claws, not stopping until it stops moving. </p><p>When it’s done it breathes heavily, its back still turned, and the longer Yuya looks at it from this way, the more he can feel a headache coming on. His vision starts to swim in front of him, and the smell of something burning assaults his senses. It’s a quick moment, but it leaves him with a headache. </p><p>But Yuya knew this monster’s name too, the same way he inherently knew Odd-Eyes’ name. It’s weaved into the tapestry of Yuya’s soul. </p><p>“Dark Rebellion,” Yuya says, testing the monster’s name. </p><p>It’s right, it’s the correct name, but it still seems off. It doesn’t seem to fit perfectly, awkward, like it wasn’t truly his to say, and leaves the bitter taste of a half-lie on his tongue. </p><p>Dark Rebellion gives a low noise, before he fades before Yuya’s eyes, his job to defend done. </p><p>☽</p><p>Afterwards, Reiji pulls him aside. </p><p>He tells Yuya that what he fought was a corrupted monster. </p><p>“Kind of like a Persona, but corrupted,” Reiji says. “They don’t belong to anyone. They’re just monsters.” </p><p>“Join the Lancers,” Reiji says. “Help us fight against the monsters.” </p><p>He remembers the name he saw on the gun. Lancers. </p><p>“In return,” Reiji says, seeing Yuya’s hesitance, “I’ll help you figure out who killed your parents those eight years ago, right on that bridge.” </p><p>“How—”</p><p>Reiji gives a twisted smile.  </p><p>It’s a done deal after that, really.</p><p>☽</p><p>Life resumes, except now he’s a Lancer. He gets one of those guns—an <em> evoker </em>, Reiji had clarified—and a permanent spot in their exclusive dorm hall. </p><p>He meets the other Lancers: Serena, Shun, Sawatari, Tsukikage, Gongenzaka, Dennis, and, the youngest of them all, Reira. </p><p>They’re led by Reiji, the one whose fate has been intertwined with that of Personas and monsters ever since his father tempted fate years ago when he took part in a series of experiments involving those preternatural creatures. </p><p>One night though, his father disappeared, leaving behind only computer files so tightly encoded Reiji had been working on opening them for years to gather what little scraps of information he could regarding the Maiami City phenomenon. </p><p>He learns from them why the sky turns green. That there’s a 25th hour that only those who wield Personas can be awake during. </p><p>They tell him about Personas and that Odd-Eyes is his. </p><p>They answer so many of his questions. </p><p>But no one can tell him why Dark Rebellion exists. </p><p>“Everyone here only has one,” Reiji says. “So, it’s a bit strange.” </p><p>“Is it something bad?” Yuya asks. Dark Rebellion doesn’t feel bad. </p><p>He looks at Yuya down the line of his nose like he’s some fake, or a science experiment he can’t wait to figure out, and gives a small foreboding smile. “We’ll just have to wait and see,” he says. </p><p>☽</p><p>Some nights, Yuya calls for Dark Rebellion, puts the evoker to his head and pulls the trigger, but he never comes. Yuya can tell he’s still there, though, awake and floating in the back of Yuya’s soul. He just brushes off the evoker’s calls, as if it was nothing more than an annoying fly. </p><p>It’s not that he needs Dark Rebellion, but he wants to look at the dragon. He wants to know that he can call upon the dragon the same way he calls upon Odd-Eyes when he needs to defend himself from the corrupt shadows. </p><p>Each attempt is a failure though. After each one, he puts the evoker back into the desk drawer and stares out the window towards the direction of the bridge and wonders how—<em> if </em>— everything is connected.   </p><p>☽</p><p>He’s months into school, almost done with the school year, when he comes back from a big mission one day and Dark Rebellion is <em> gone </em>. </p><p>Yuya instantly panics and excuses himself from the other Lancers. He runs to his room and grips the front of his shirt tightly. </p><p>He pulls the evoker out of his side holster, fumbling with it as he places it to his head. </p><p>He tries to reach for the spot where Dark Rebellion used to sit and pulls the trigger. </p><p>Nothing happens. </p><p>Odd-Eyes is reacting to his panic, though, and floats to the forefront. </p><p>Yuya reaches around him and tries to find that part of his soul again. </p><p>It’s quite easy to locate it actually. It feels like a giant hole ripped through the fabric of his very being. </p><p>He focuses on it and pulls the trigger again. </p><p>Odd-Eyes is the only thing that responds though, and their emotions make a constant feedback loop with each other. </p><p>Dark Rebellion is gone, and in his place he leaves Yuya feeling the worst he’s felt since his parents’ deaths. </p><p>☽</p><p>“Why don’t you introduce yourself?” The teacher asks. </p><p>Yuya thinks it’s a miracle he even heard the teacher say that. From the minute the other walked into the room, Yuya feels like he forgot how to breathe. (And for all the wrong reasons.) </p><p>Within him, Odd-Eyes has sparked to life and is burning at a fever-pitch—smothering him and threatening to leave Yuya as nothing more than ashes. It’s a sudden rush of emotion that leaves Yuya dizzy and drained, unable to pinpoint a single emotion over the inferno of them from Odd-Eyes. </p><p>At the front of the class, oblivious to Yuya’s turmoil, the boy nods. </p><p>“My name is Yuto,” he says. </p><p>The words ring within Yuya’s head, reverberating into his soul where Odd-Eyes lays, but he fails to dredge up a relationship to the word. The part where Dark Rebellion used to be aches too, and ripples within him. </p><p>When Yuto’s eyes catch and lock onto his own (gray, so <em> gray </em>), Yuya wonders if he’ll make it out of this classroom alive because that too makes him drown. (He still doesn’t know why.) </p><p>“Yuto is here from a foreign school, so I hope you’ll all be nice to him,” the teacher says, looking at a few particular students. Yuya thinks she should be more concerned about the girls behind him, whispering things he wishes he never had to hear. </p><p>The teacher points him to an open spot and it’s only then that Yuto breaks his eye contact with Yuya. </p><p>Next to him, Serena is sitting rigid, glaring a hole into Yuto’s back. </p><p>If Yuto noticed, he didn’t seem to care. He sits, ignoring the whispers and looks. </p><p>“I don’t trust him. <em> Cat Dancer </em>doesn’t trust him,” Serena whispers to him while she’s pulling out her textbook. “Stay away from him.” </p><p>Yuya thinks that maybe then it’s not the time to bring up the feelings in his chest. </p><p>“Okay,” he says, because it’s much easier for now. </p><p>☽</p><p>He truly does mean to pull Reiji aside when he gets back to the dorm, but as it turns out, he’s busy. With Yuto. Helping him move in. </p><p>There’s a weird pull again in Yuya’s chest, but it’s not debilitating. It’s more like a pleasant low flame, keeping him warm, than anything else.  </p><p>“You didn’t tell anyone someone was going to be moving in,” Serena says. Any tension that might have left her from earlier coming back full force. </p><p>“It was a sudden shift in plans,” Reiji says. He doesn’t look too pleased about it either and Yuya can’t blame him. The Lancers’ dorm wasn’t meant for normal people. Persona-users only. Yuya’s own original accidental assignment to this dorm now felt like it had been nothing more than a foreboding sign. </p><p>“It’s not permanent,” Reiji says, sensing the apparent friction between Yuto and Serena. “Just until they can sort out his situation.” </p><p>Yuya can practically see Serena biting her tongue from objecting right then and there. </p><p>“Whatever,” she says and walks past them to go up to her room. </p><p>Yuya rubs the back of his head, sheepish as he looks at Yuto. “Sorry about her,” he says. </p><p>Reiji nods. “I’ll make sure to talk to her.” While it was meant to placate Yuto, Yuya could sense the double meaning behind it. <em> I’ll find out what’s setting her off </em>, he was essentially saying. Serena could be aggressive and rude, sure, but normally there was a clear cause that had set her off. </p><p>Hopefully, she could set the stage for Yuya telling Reiji about his own Persona’s behaviors and they could compare the two.  </p><p>“It’s fine,” Yuto says. “Did I do something to insult her?” </p><p>“I doubt it,” Yuya says. “She’s just like that.” </p><p>“Still…” </p><p>Yuya rubs the back of his head with a laugh. </p><p>“Here, why don’t I help you with your bags?” He says. </p><p>“Oh, I can do it, don’t worry,” Yuto says. “I’m all the way on the third floor.” </p><p>“Really? That’s my floor, too,” Yuya says. </p><p>Yuya picks up some of Yuto’s bags before he can protest. </p><p>“C’mon, I’ll help you get set up.” </p><p>Yuto thanks Reiji for his help earlier, before picking up the remaining bags and following after Yuya. </p><p>“Thank you,” he says, as they climb the stairs. </p><p>“It’s no problem,” Yuya says. </p><p>He wants to stay close to Yuto for a bit longer, to try to assess why he’s getting those feelings. </p><p>☽</p><p>By the time they’re almost done putting Yuto’s stuff away, it’s nighttime.</p><p>“Sorry if I’ve held you back from getting work done,” Yuto says. </p><p>“I could have left if that was the case.” </p><p>“Still, I appreciate it. It would have taken much longer alone.” </p><p>“So, what was the school you transferred from again?” Yuya asks. “Sorry, I think I missed it earlier.” </p><p>“Oh, just an overseas one,” he says. </p><p>“I’ve never been overseas, so that sounds cool that you even went to school there,” Yuya laughs. “But what was the name of it?” </p><p>“It’s difficult to pronounce,” Yuto says. He keeps his attention on the remaining things he needs to put away. </p><p>“Even though you went to school there?” </p><p>“I never got used to saying it,” Yuto says. “Sorry, it’d sound horrible if I tried.” </p><p>“It’s alright,” Yuya says, and watches as the tension deflates from Yuto’s shoulders. “Well, why don’t you and I go get some food sometime? To celebrate your transfer.” </p><p>“I don’t—” </p><p>“It’ll be on me!” </p><p>Yuto quickly seems to realize this is a losing battle. “If you’re sure.” </p><p>“Yup, positively. I’ll make sure it’s a meal you’ll enjoy.” </p><p>“I look forward to it then,” he says, and Yuya can see a light dust of pink on his cheeks. Yuya hopes his own don’t look like that, but there’s probably not much luck there. </p><p>“I’m going to head to bed now,” Yuya says. “Make sure you do the homework.” He’s been called on randomly one to many times to feel like he could rest easy not doing it. He doesn’t want to see Yuto get caught off guard when it did happen. </p><p>“Goodnight, Yuya,” he says. “And thanks again.” </p><p>Yuya leaves his room and walks as quick as he can back down the hall to his room. He unlocks the door and pushes his way inside before slamming himself onto the bed. </p><p>It takes everything in him not to scream into the pillow like some stupid love-struck girl from a syrupy melodrama. </p><p>But damn does he feel like one right now. </p><p>(He thinks the feeling he felt earlier was a crush. What else could it have been?) </p><p>☽</p><p>Things happen fast, and Yuya doesn’t get the chance to talk to Reiji. </p><p>He treats Yuto to dinner, as promised, but the night brings another corrupted monster they have to go deal with, leaving Yuya exhausted by the time they get back. </p><p>Reiji also doesn’t seem to be in the mood to talk, bustling off once they get back to work more on the files. </p><p>He forgoes talking to Reiji for the night, and heads upstairs.</p><p>☽</p><p>Yuya knows he should tell Reiji, but a week passes. Reiji doesn’t reach out to him either, so whatever Serena told him must not have concerned him enough to get Yuya’s account of Yuto’s appearance his first day. </p><p>He takes Yuto out to dinner a few more times, and begins to hang out around him more. </p><p>It’s quite easy to, especially when he lives down the hall. </p><p>(Yuya wishes, for a brief moment, that Reiji <em> had </em>put him on a different floor, if only to stop Yuya from seeing Yuto so much.) </p><p>The feeling he gets when he’s with Yuto doesn’t go away. </p><p>☽</p><p>They spend a few more weeks like that, and Yuto and Yuya get closer. They see each other almost every night now, just filling the silence with chatter and the solitude of the other. </p><p>One night when he comes back after a fight and reaches the third floor, he finds Yuto standing in front of his door, waiting. </p><p>“Oh, sorry,” Yuya says. “I hope you weren’t waiting long.” </p><p>Yuto looks like there’s something heavy weighing upon him, and Yuya feels a dredge roll around in his stomach. </p><p>“Everything okay?” </p><p>“Y-Yeah, I just have a question to ask you.” </p><p>Yuya opens the door, and they both sit on Yuya’s bed. </p><p>“What’s your question?” </p><p>“Are you afraid of Death?” Yuto asks. </p><p>Yuya freezes for a moment, mulling it over. </p><p>He’s less shocked by the question though, and more surprised as to where it came from. As to why it was something so pressing in Yuto’s mind that he looked like <em> he </em>wanted to curl up and die if Yuya gave him the wrong answer. </p><p>“No, I’m not afraid of death,” he finally says. He smiles. “I’m not afraid of Death at all.” </p><p>Yuto deflates, and Yuya knows he said the right thing. </p><p>But he also said the truth, that’s all. </p><p>☽</p><p>They go to the park one day, just Yuto and him. </p><p>It’s not fully Winter yet, but there’s snow on the ground, so they bundle up tight and stick close to each other. </p><p>At least, that’s what Yuya tells himself is the reason they stay close. It doesn’t hurt that he has Odd-Eyes use a pinch of his fire to help keep the both of them warm. </p><p>“It’s beautiful,” Yuto says. </p><p>“What is?” </p><p>There’s a sort of melancholy to Yuto’s voice when he says, “This world.” </p><p>Yuya sees Yuto’s hand twitch near his side, and he slips his hands into Yuto’s and squeezes tight. </p><p>“It’s not going anywhere,” he says, laughing. “There’s plenty of time for us to see more of it.” </p><p>Yuto just smiles. </p><p>☽</p><p>“You finally managed to get access to your father’s files?” Shun asks as they stare at the papers on the living room table. </p><p>“Yes,” Reiji says. He picks up a manilla folder, ‘The Fall’ written on it in big, bold letters. “Some of them concern me, but this is the one most pressing.” </p><p>“Well? Don’t just sit there, tell us already!” Sawatari says. </p><p>Reiji gives him a look, and Sawatari hunches in on himself. “I’m getting there,” he says, opening the folder. </p><p>Reiji shows them the files about The Fall and they sit and take it in. </p><p>“The end of all humanity…” Tsukikage says. “This is what your father was working on?”</p><p>“How is this even supposed to happen?” Shun asks. </p><p>“Through a being called the appraiser. Death’s incarnate,” Reiji says.</p><p>Reiji’s about to say more, but the stairs creak, and the room becomes deathly silent as Yuto walks down the last few stairs. </p><p>Yuya feels bad for him, the sudden silence nerve-racking, especially as everyone was staring right at him. </p><p>Yuto takes note of the situation quickly, though. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he says. “Did I interrupt something?” </p><p>He looks awkward standing there, and Yuya knows he must have heard some of it. But to Yuto, it should mean nothing, right? </p><p>“No, nothing much,” Reiji says. </p><p> They wait until Yuto walks out the front door to continue, but Yuya can tell Reiji is also aware that Yuto must have heard some of it. </p><p>The last thing Reiji shows them in the file is a picture of a girl. She has long hair, held in two ponytails. </p><p>“This is my sister, Ray,” he says. “She’s probably the last link we have to any more information.” </p><p>“Well then, where is she?” Serena asks. </p><p>“No one has seen her in the past eight years,” Reiji says. </p><p>And just like that, it runs cold. </p><p>☽</p><p>Yuto comes to Yuya’s door again the next night, the same weight of the world seeming to press upon his shoulders as it had a few days ago. </p><p>In private, Yuto tells Yuya his deepest secret. </p><p>“It’s me,” Yuto says. “I’m the appraiser.” </p><p>Yuya sucks in his breath. He stares at Yuto.</p><p>“How do you know?” Yuya asks softly. </p><p>“I was born for this. It’s my one job. That’s why I could never tell you anything about my life before this. But,” he says, and takes Yuya’s hand. “I don’t want to see you suffer.” </p><p>“Can’t you just stop it then? Say that it’s not worth it?” </p><p>“It’s already been determined. In some ways, my existence is but a formality. Humans want to die; I can’t stop a desire that strong.” </p><p>“There’s got to be some way to change that, then.” </p><p>Yuto gives him a sad smile. “Oh, Yuya. You can’t, I’m sorry. But there is one thing you can do.” </p><p>“What?” </p><p>“Kill me,” Yuto says. </p><p>Yuya recoils. He remembers what Reiji said about the appraiser being Death. </p><p><em> Kill Death </em>, he asks of Yuya. </p><p>The evoker on his side burns. </p><p>“You won’t even know when you die. You won’t even feel it,” Yuto says. “All you have to do is kill me.” </p><p>“Kill you?!” </p><p>“Yes.” </p><p>Yuya tears his hand away from Yuto. “Even if the world was to come to an end, I’d never do that to you!” </p><p>Yuto seems disappointed by this for some reason. </p><p>“Please, Yuya,” he says. “If you don’t kill me, if you let me live, you’ll end up fighting against me. So the best option for you is to kill me now, so all knowledge you have of The Fall will leave you.” </p><p>“I can’t,” Yuya says. There are tears welling up in his eyes, but he wipes them away before they fall. </p><p>“Is it because I’m human?” Yuto asks. “Because I <em> look </em>human?” </p><p>Yes, Yuya would never kill a human, but he would also never kill Yuto no matter what he is. He wishes he didn’t have to bring the corrupted monsters’ lives to an end either, but it was always an unavoidable battle with only one winner. </p><p>Yuya doesn’t answer, but Yuto also doesn’t press him. </p><p>Instead, before Yuya’s very eyes, Yuto transforms into the dragon he thought he’d never see again: Dark Rebellion. He’s cramped in the room, hunching over and keeping everything close to him, but he is unmistakably Dark Rebellion. </p><p>Yuto reaches out for the lingering traces of the bond they once shared and says to Yuya mentally, “See?” He asks. “I am not human. I am Death.” </p><p>Yuya doesn’t even have to think about it. “That doesn’t matter.” </p><p>“You know what happened all those years ago, correct?” Yuto asks. “Do you remember me, now?” </p><p>His head hurts, as if his brain was currently in a pressure cooker, but he pushes through it.  “The bridge, right?” </p><p>“Yes,” Yuto says. “Then you also remember what happened that night?” </p><p>“I’ve always thought it wasn’t a hit-and-run,” Yuya says. </p><p>“It was my fighting that killed your parents. Me, who got you wrapped up in this whole thing. I was sealed inside of you for all those years, because that girl”—Ray, Yuya knew now—“knew she couldn’t beat me. Couldn’t stop the end her father was trying to bring to the Earth—only prolong the inevitable. Don’t you hate me for all that?” </p><p>He can’t stop the ting of hatred for Yuto that rises up at that moment. Yuto knows he’s right—knows Yuya has a small bit of hatred forever embedded in his heart for whoever shattered his world. Yuya knows Yuto must have been fighting for his life that night, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still wish it could have been different. If he could have his way, of course he would still want his parents to be alive. </p><p>“A bit,” Yuya admits. “But I still won’t do it.” </p><p>Yuto looks pensive for a moment, before he sighs and transforms back into a human. </p><p>“Soon we will become enemies.” </p><p>“I’ll fight it, The Fall,” Yuya pledges. </p><p>“You can’t, you can’t overcome this.” </p><p>“I’ll try, no matter what you say, I’ll still try.”</p><p>☽</p><p>Yuya spends one last night talking with Yuto. Though they try their best not to make it tense, Yuya doesn’t see how it can be anything but. </p><p>Still, he kisses Yuto, and when they touch the empty part of him seems whole again, as if Dark Rebellion—Yuto—had come back to make him complete. </p><p>Yuya also doesn’t think he should like the way Death’s lips taste so much, but he does anyway. </p><p>☽</p><p>Yuto leaves in the middle of the night. </p><p>They question Yuya on whether or not he knew where Yuto went, and Yuya tells them everything. </p><p>“I see,” Reiji says. </p><p>There’s an even worse despair that hangs over them than ever before. </p><p>“Well you made the right decision,” Reiji says. “Not to kill him.” </p><p>The others nod in agreement. </p><p>“I can’t believe he thought we should just accept it,” Sawatari says. </p><p>“I told you,” Serena hisses. “I told you he was trouble.” </p><p>“On the contrary,” Reiji says. “If Yuya never got close to him, we wouldn’t know about this, and about how close The Fall is to actually occurring.” </p><p>He says it like Yuya <em> used </em>Yuto, and the tone sits heavy in Yuya’s stomach. </p><p>“It just happened,” he says. </p><p>“No, I agree,” Reiji says. “You didn’t know, not yourself consciously. But you cannot deny that you two were drawn together because of your history.” </p><p>He’s right, Yuya can’t. </p><p>☽</p><p>The Lancers start preparing for The Fall. </p><p>Not that there’s much they can do to prepare for that. </p><p>“It’s like a normal mission,” Reiji tries to tell them. </p><p>They are very much aware this is not a normal mission. In normal missions, they could trip up and get back up. </p><p>Everyone knew there would be no getting back up after this fight. Not just as individuals, but also to the world they held in their hands. </p><p>☽</p><p>They reach the summit of the highest tower just to be able to stand face-to-face with Yuto. </p><p>He’s different, green lines running through the body of his dragon form. </p><p>Odd-Eyes is in pain inside of Yuya, knowing soon he will have to sink his claws into Dark Rebellion’s hide and spew fire onto that which he once loved. </p><p>(Yuya thinks maybe Yuto was right. Because the pain of having to fight him was worse than death.) </p><p>☽</p><p>They win, but really it is Yuya’s victory. </p><p>He offered his soul to seal The Fall away for good, and Yuya can feel himself slowly deteriorating as his last remaining weeks go on. </p><p>The New Year comes, and humanity still exists.</p><p>It had to be him, though. </p><p>His soul was the only one who had carried Dark Rebellion, who could fit perfectly into the last bit the seal needed. </p><p>If the other Lancers notice him slowly wasting away, they say nothing. </p><p>Perhaps it has to do with the fact that his smile was even wider than before, hiding the biggest secret. </p><p>🌸</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Yuto says. </p><p>Yuya can feel the fire in him, for the first time since before the crash, since before his life changed, starting to be smothered out. It would leave him so very cold if not for the way Yuto held him and the sun’s rays dappling through the cherry blossom trees in the park next to the bridge, warming him with the first signs of spring as their petals dance on the wind, scattering on the ground. </p><p>“Didn’t I tell you? I’m not afraid. So there’s nothing to be sorry about.” </p><p>Yuto smiles down at him, and Yuya returns it. </p><p>“I’ll be there, too, soon. You won’t be alone.” </p><p>“I’m looking forward to it.” </p><p>Yuya watches the seasons change before his eyes. Yes, it’s all going to be alright. </p><p>He takes a breath, looks at Yuto and his smile, reaches up, gently pulls him in for a kiss, takes another breath, and then— </p><p><br/>
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  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for my sins (I'm really not) </p><p>This was originally written for a server thing, but I hope everyone enjoyed!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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